Content available exclusively for subscribers
Foxborough, MA – Very interesting game in Foxborough, closer than most people thought – Dan checks in from Gillette Stadium with a helping of Whispers and Notes . . .
Nick Mangold left the locker room with his right ankle in a protective boot. It doesn’t look like he suffered a setback, but it’s more of a protective measure . . .
Matt Slauson has his right ankle wrapped . . .
Jeff Cumberland left the game early with a right wrist or hand injury. He left the stadium with his right hand/wrist area in some kind of cast . . .
At first it looked like a serious leg injury to Austin Howard, but he was able to come back into the game after missing just a couple of plays.
“It was more of a scare than anything,” Howard said.
He didn’t seem to have any issue with it after the game . . .
Joe McKnight (pictured with Dr. Ken Montgomery), on the other hand, was limping badly after game on his bum ankle.
He showed a lot of toughness this afternoon, and tonight, playing through the injury, suffered against Indianapolis.
“I just had to deal with the pain,” McKnight said after the game . . .
The Patriots were dealing with major issues at two positions in this game.
Both their starting guards – Logan Mankins and Dan Connolly – were out, and both their starting safeties were out – Patrick Chung and Steve Gregory.
So while the Jets do deserve a lot of credit for a great effort, you have to think those four guys being out had an impact . . .
LaRon Landry was by far the Jets’ leading tackler with 12 stops.
While that is impressive, sometimes you get the sense, even though he and the Jets don’t like to hear it, he’s best work is in the box.
He was inconsistent in coverage again tonight, though, in his defense, the 17-yard TD pass from Tom Brady to Rob Gronkowski, was a perfect throw, and a great catch.
One scout told me recently that Landry’s instincts in coverage aren’t the best . . .
My friend Bob Glauber asked Rex Ryan (and Mark Sanchez) after the game a question like this, and I will paraphrase – “How can Mark look so good on the opening drive, and then so good late, but not as good in-between.”
While Ryan and Mark danced around the answer which is understandable, the answer is pretty simple – “Mark is very inconsistent.”
Maybe that will change one day, but it’s the case right now.
This is a bad Patriots secondary, and New England doesn’t have much of a pass rush (there were so many plays that Sanchez had forever to throw).
“We had too many field goals,” said Dustin Keller. “We have been better in the red zone (than tonight).”
As one long-time Boston writer said in the press box – “You have to do more against this secondary, for Christ’s sake.” . . .
Keller, who was out for several games with a hamstring injury, wasn’t happy with his conditioning late in this game.
“I was pretty gassed out there,” Keller said. “I need to work on that.” . . .
Speaking on conditioning, the Jets have a major physical challenge in front of them this week.
Obviously they played extra football this week with a physical overtime loss to New England.
And next week they play a Miami Dolphins team coming off a bye.
So the Dolphins are going to have the fresher legs.
The Dolphins collective bodies are going to feel better than the Jets.
We will see how this impacts the game next week . . .
The Jets defensive coaches made a brilliant strategic decision in this game – putting Isaiah Trufant on Wes Welker, and the mighty-mite cornerback did a terrific job on “The Slot Machine.”
Trufant is the perfect match-up for Welker because he’s so quick, and changes directions so effortlessly. He’s very well-equipped to handle WW.
Now Welker did have two key receptions for the Pats, 13 and 12-yards, to set up the game-winning field goal in overtime, those plays weren’t on Trufant, they were on DaMario Davis (not a good matchup). In regulation, Trufant limited Welker to four catches . . .
October 21, 2012
Premium will return by 10 pm on Monday Night.